KUCHING, April 27 — It’s no lip service when Barisan Nasional candidate Lo Khere Chiang says he wants to fix the long standing flood problem in Batu Kitang, one of the new seats and among the most contentious in the upcoming state election.
He grew up witnessing first-hand the fear and misery of local folk living in low lying areas during rainy seasons every year.
And as a trained civil engineer and a third-term municipal council chairman of Padawan, where Bukit Kitang is, he knows the problem can be resolved.
“I was born here and I know this area very well. The drainage systems here are over 30 years. It will need a lot of money to improve the infrastructure but it can be done with the help of all especially the state government to put an end to the flooding problem,” he said.
Bukit Kitang, carved out of DAP-held Kota Sentosa and Batu Kawah, has 17,494 registered voters with 60 per cent Chinese, and the rest Bumiputera. Five candidates, including from DAP and PKR, are standing there.
At a community forum at the old bus terminal in Hua Joo Park, the 56-year-old Lo of Hakka descent and SUPP Kota Sentosa chairman said he also wants to engage the rural population to ensure no groups are left behind if voters sent him to the state legislature on May 7.
“This is not just a matter of developing the land, we must bring the people together. The rural folk must be helped to realise they can make money too, and all of us in Batu Kitang can enjoy a better quality of life,” he said.
He also wants Batu Kitang residents to have access to affordable medical care and better transportation to ease traffic jams.
Lo will continue to reach out to Chinese at community forums and ‘ceramah’.
For the Bumiputera voters in the rural areas, he will go door to door.
Asked if he feels pressured in a five-horse race in his first election bid, Lo replied: “Yes, this is my first time as a contestant, it is like sitting for an examination, and no, because I have put in a lot of effort and I am confident that voters can see that and how my credentials and experience can bring them the development Batu Kitang needs.”.
Lo worked as a public engineer in Padawan before he left two decades ago to start his own consultancy and was appointed municipal council chairman six years ago.
“In taking up the municipal post, I stipulated that no jobs from the council be given to my company. I am still here after six years and because I act fairly to ensure that allocations are shared with all communities,” he added.
Batu Kitang is among the six constituencies where opposition DAP and PKR will clash against each other, with Voon Shiak Ni and Abdull Aziz Isa respectively. Independents Sulaiman Kadir and Datuk Seri Othman Bojeng make up the rest of the contenders.
The constituency is one of 13 contested by SUPP, the Chinese-based component of the state BN.
In the crowd at Hua Park was 56-year-old grandmother Y.S.Chieng who wanted to know what Lo would do for the local economy.
“My son is a businessman and I have two grandchildren. The PKR candidate was around to shake hands with the people. After this, I want to go for a DAP ceramah,” said Chieng who decided to vote in Bukit Kitang this time instead of returning to Bintulu where she voted in 2011. — Bernama
Wednesday April 27, 2016
MalayMail & Straits Time
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